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Thursday's Tips
May 18, 2011
This weekend is going to be all about interleague play in Major League Baseball. Before we get to that ball of fun, we’re going to wrap up a lot of two-game sets on Thursday. The Rays and Red Sox both take on divisional rivals, while the Phils have one more test with the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park.
Rays at Blue Jays – 7:05 p.m. EDT
Tampa Bay may sit atop the American League East at the moment, but that lead is a tenuous one. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Rays are only up two-games on New York, 2 ½-games on Toronto and four-games on last place Baltimore.
The Rays send Wade Davis (4-3, 3.47) out to the hill for the final game of this short trip to Rogers Centre. It may only be mid-May, but Davis needs a good start here for himself. The young hurler took the loss in a 6-0 decision at home against the Orioles last Saturday, which is his first since April 9. What the concern is all about is that Davis is lasting less on the mound. He has progressively lasted less in his five starts, going seven innings versus the White Sox on April 20 to 5.1 innings against Baltimore on May 14. There is one positive for Davis in this spot in that he is 2-1 with a 2.60 earned run average in four starts against the Blue Jays. Also, the Rays have won two of his last three starts as an underdog.
Toronto counters with its ace, Ricky Romero (3-4, 3.35), who is starting to finally get some help. Romero has won two of his last three starts of the season, which is helping his backers forget that the Jays lost his last four prior starts. He tossed 8.2 innings of four-hit scoreless baseball for a 2-0 win at Minnesota on May 13. As good as the Blue Jays might feel with Romero on the mound, they have to keep in mind that they’re just 2-4 in his six career starts against Tampa Bay.
This has been a fairly even series with each posting three wins in the six games of the season. Totals players have profited greatly by taking the ‘under’ when these teams face off, going 4-2 in 2011.
Tigers at Red Sox – 7:05 p.m. EDT, MLB Network
This didn’t look like it would be a series worth paying attention to at the beginning of the month. Now we have two teams that appear to have finally turned the corner in time to save their respective seasons.
Detroit is sending Justin Verlander (4-3, 2.91) to the mound on Thursday night, and there might not be a better pitcher in baseball at the moment. Verlander almost had a perfect game on the road against the Blue Jays on May 7, having to settle for a no-hitter. Then he tossed eight brilliant innings of one-run, two-hit ball for a 3-1 win over the Royals at Comerica Park last Friday. Verlander is 2-1 with an ERA of 2.79 in four road starts this year. And he’s gone 2-1 with a 3.19 in four career starts at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox entrust the starting job to Josh Beckett (3-1, 1.75), which has been a very smart move recently. The former ace has not allowed an earned run in his last 17.1 innings pitched, helping Boston go 2-1 in that stretch. The BoSox have also enjoyed his work at home this season, going 3-1 as a team. Beckett himself is 2-0 with a 0.34 ERA at Fenway Park in 2011. Plus, he loves slaying the Tigers with a 3-1 mark and an ERA of 2.60 in four career starts against them.
If you’re wanting to make some money when these teams face off, then take the home side. The home team has gone 7-3 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings. The ‘over’ has also gone 6-3-1 in those battles.
Rockies at Phillies – 7:05 p.m. EDT
There isn’t a lot of room for error on Thursday night for the Phillies and Rockies wrap up their series. These two teams hold just a ½-game advantage in their respective divisions, which is no more than having played one more game in the season.
Colorado has been able to stay at the top of the National League West with the help of strong efforts out of Jhoulys Chacin (4-2, 2.89). Thursday’s starting pitcher for the Rockies has helped them win five of his eight starts this season. But Chacin is not getting a lot of help from the offense when on the mound. In three of his last five starts, the Rox have scored no more than two runs…winning just one of those outings. Chacin has gone 2-1 in his three starts on the road this season, which helps negate the 5.00 ERA he has in those spots.
The Phillies will entrust the starting job for this match to Joe Blanton (1-2, 5.50). While he could be considered the Ringo Starr of the Phils’ starting rotation, Blanton has been pretty good. He has allowed no more than three earned runs in his last four starts. Philadelphia has gone 1-1 when its fifth starter in on the job, but that could be easily 2-0 if the bullpen hadn’t coughed up the lead late in the April 18 tilt at home versus the Brewers.
This has been another head-to-head matchup that is leaning heavily to the home teams. If you were betting the visitors, you’d be eating some Top Ramen as they’ve gone 2-5 in the last seven meetings. The ‘under’ has gone 5-3-1 over the last eight battles between these two sides in Philadelphia.
May 18, 2011
This weekend is going to be all about interleague play in Major League Baseball. Before we get to that ball of fun, we’re going to wrap up a lot of two-game sets on Thursday. The Rays and Red Sox both take on divisional rivals, while the Phils have one more test with the Rockies at Citizens Bank Park.
Rays at Blue Jays – 7:05 p.m. EDT
Tampa Bay may sit atop the American League East at the moment, but that lead is a tenuous one. As of Wednesday afternoon, the Rays are only up two-games on New York, 2 ½-games on Toronto and four-games on last place Baltimore.
The Rays send Wade Davis (4-3, 3.47) out to the hill for the final game of this short trip to Rogers Centre. It may only be mid-May, but Davis needs a good start here for himself. The young hurler took the loss in a 6-0 decision at home against the Orioles last Saturday, which is his first since April 9. What the concern is all about is that Davis is lasting less on the mound. He has progressively lasted less in his five starts, going seven innings versus the White Sox on April 20 to 5.1 innings against Baltimore on May 14. There is one positive for Davis in this spot in that he is 2-1 with a 2.60 earned run average in four starts against the Blue Jays. Also, the Rays have won two of his last three starts as an underdog.
Toronto counters with its ace, Ricky Romero (3-4, 3.35), who is starting to finally get some help. Romero has won two of his last three starts of the season, which is helping his backers forget that the Jays lost his last four prior starts. He tossed 8.2 innings of four-hit scoreless baseball for a 2-0 win at Minnesota on May 13. As good as the Blue Jays might feel with Romero on the mound, they have to keep in mind that they’re just 2-4 in his six career starts against Tampa Bay.
This has been a fairly even series with each posting three wins in the six games of the season. Totals players have profited greatly by taking the ‘under’ when these teams face off, going 4-2 in 2011.
Tigers at Red Sox – 7:05 p.m. EDT, MLB Network
This didn’t look like it would be a series worth paying attention to at the beginning of the month. Now we have two teams that appear to have finally turned the corner in time to save their respective seasons.
Detroit is sending Justin Verlander (4-3, 2.91) to the mound on Thursday night, and there might not be a better pitcher in baseball at the moment. Verlander almost had a perfect game on the road against the Blue Jays on May 7, having to settle for a no-hitter. Then he tossed eight brilliant innings of one-run, two-hit ball for a 3-1 win over the Royals at Comerica Park last Friday. Verlander is 2-1 with an ERA of 2.79 in four road starts this year. And he’s gone 2-1 with a 3.19 in four career starts at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox entrust the starting job to Josh Beckett (3-1, 1.75), which has been a very smart move recently. The former ace has not allowed an earned run in his last 17.1 innings pitched, helping Boston go 2-1 in that stretch. The BoSox have also enjoyed his work at home this season, going 3-1 as a team. Beckett himself is 2-0 with a 0.34 ERA at Fenway Park in 2011. Plus, he loves slaying the Tigers with a 3-1 mark and an ERA of 2.60 in four career starts against them.
If you’re wanting to make some money when these teams face off, then take the home side. The home team has gone 7-3 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings. The ‘over’ has also gone 6-3-1 in those battles.
Rockies at Phillies – 7:05 p.m. EDT
There isn’t a lot of room for error on Thursday night for the Phillies and Rockies wrap up their series. These two teams hold just a ½-game advantage in their respective divisions, which is no more than having played one more game in the season.
Colorado has been able to stay at the top of the National League West with the help of strong efforts out of Jhoulys Chacin (4-2, 2.89). Thursday’s starting pitcher for the Rockies has helped them win five of his eight starts this season. But Chacin is not getting a lot of help from the offense when on the mound. In three of his last five starts, the Rox have scored no more than two runs…winning just one of those outings. Chacin has gone 2-1 in his three starts on the road this season, which helps negate the 5.00 ERA he has in those spots.
The Phillies will entrust the starting job for this match to Joe Blanton (1-2, 5.50). While he could be considered the Ringo Starr of the Phils’ starting rotation, Blanton has been pretty good. He has allowed no more than three earned runs in his last four starts. Philadelphia has gone 1-1 when its fifth starter in on the job, but that could be easily 2-0 if the bullpen hadn’t coughed up the lead late in the April 18 tilt at home versus the Brewers.
This has been another head-to-head matchup that is leaning heavily to the home teams. If you were betting the visitors, you’d be eating some Top Ramen as they’ve gone 2-5 in the last seven meetings. The ‘under’ has gone 5-3-1 over the last eight battles between these two sides in Philadelphia.
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